A Beautiful Day

The 30th of October 2009, was the most beautiful Autumn day ever...

In fact, the day was so beautiful that we decided to get married...

Haha... of course, there was more to it than that...

To be continued...

Me in Colour

Favourite dialogue from the movie 'The Mirror Has Two Faces' (1996)

Mother: I thought you'd wear make-up today?
Rose: What's the point? It would only be me in colour?
Mother: You need a therapist!

Love those lines! Maybe, because I don't wear make-up, don't like wearing make-up, and don't even know how to put make-up on!

But on Friday, I have to! Well, not that I have to, but I want to. So yes, I've been panicking lately about it. Don't exactly want other people to do it for me, because I don't want heavy make-up. Just want a touch of it.

Ain't I lucky to have the bestest friends! Haha. So yesterday, a close-friend gave me a one-on-one basic tutorial make-up through skype yesterday. Don't you just love skype? =) Actually, this isn't the first time she's done this. I just had to ask again, because I keep forgetting! Well, there are more important things than make-up you know, like dilly-dallying over deadlines. Hehe.

So now I'm typing this fully made-up on. The works! Eye-shadow, mascara, blush-on, foundation and lipstick. A friend advised that I should use make-up at home just to get used to having the stuff on my face, especially the lipstick! I have this disgusting habit of licking my lips, that's why I never bothered to put lipstick on because it never stays anyway. My friend thinks that if I practice using it at home, and be consciously aware that I have it on, will stop the lick-lipping.

Oh and did I mention that I cannot use nail-polish either? That's because I can't relax with nail-polish on. I feel there's something unnatural about it.

So, yep, that's why I hardly wear any colour on my face... or any part of my err... body.

Anyway, here's a clip from the movie:



Three more days to go. Yikes!

The Doggie, the Tractor and the Perfect Rainbow

On our way home from Bristol last week, we saw this really, really cute site and of course, I just had to take a picture.

The farmer and his little furry companion turned right on a farm called 'The Home Farm'. We can see this farm from our window.

***

On a personal note, next week will be a very memorable one for me and the Historian, especially the 30th of October, 2009. It is THE day. I just hope that it will be a beautiful day without the rain. In my country, if I'm not mistaken, we offer eggs to ward off the rain. Not sure how to go about this though, should I turn up in the Catholic Church here and offer eggs to the Priest? Not sure how the English would take that. Hehe.

Anyway, I'm missing my family, especially my mom and wish that they could be with me on that special day. But next year...

Oh wait, speaking of the rain, I saw the most perfect and most beautiful rainbow I've ever seen in my life.

It was perfect and the colours were really standing out, maybe because it was set against a gray sky? Actually, there was even a light drizzle that day. But the rainbow still came out and it was breathtaking! The electric post and wires are such an eye-sore though. Anyway, I'll take that as an omen. The rainbow, not the wires... On the 30th, the weather will be as perfect and as lovely as that rainbow.

Indigo Girls and the Plectrum

Amy Ray

An Indigo Girls fan shouted from the crowd, 'Amy, can I have your plectrum please'. Amy Ray laughed and said 'Yes, you may have my plectrum, especially since you asked so politely. The crowd laughed. I turned to the Historian, and he said 'It's a pick'. That's the first time I've ever heard that word, plectrum.

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls)

I enjoyed the concert. To my surprise, the Historian did too. Even though we had had to stand from 7pm till about 11pm! When we arrived, there weren't much people yet. But you couldn't stand and lean by the stage anymore. People where there already, I was wondering what time they arrived. There were also people by the bar, and standing by the railing already. The Historian and I decided to stand behind the people by the stage. And it was a good decision! Although, worried about losing our places, we weren't even able to get a drink by the bar. Soon, the place was filled up.

A young woman, who reminded me of a young Jewel (before selling out), was the front act. She was obviously stoned. All I know is that her name was Stephanie. Didn't catch her last name at all. She was okay, not outstanding though.

Stephanie something (front act)

Anyway, the concert was great. The Indigo Girls were great! I was pleased that they sang some old songs so I was able to sing along. But sadly, I wasn't familiar with their new songs.

My only comment about the concert was that I was a bit bothered with the change of guitars after every song. When you're watching a concert, you don't want the momentum to stop, you just want it to keep going. But they stopped and said 'thanks y'all' countless times. Other than that, I was a woman in cloud 9! Oh and I loved their rapport with their fans. It was like being invited to a private party among friends, where everyone cared about each other.

Guitar change with the guitar man.

Next time they come into town, I will definitely drag the Historian to watch the Indigo Girls live again.

A short video of Indigo Girls & their fans (how do you turn this video around?)

If Life Were A Playlist

... most of the songs on that list would be from the the Indigo Girls. All throughout my adolescent years, I listened to 'Ghost', 'Love Will Come to You', over and over again'.

I loved their lyrics. As a teenager these lines from the song Blood and Fire became my mantra:

'I am looking for someone who can take as much as I give,
give back as much as I need,
and still have the will to live.
I am intense.
I am in need.
I am in love.
I feel forsaken, like the things I gave away'

Such is youth, or at least, my youth. Hehe. Thank God I only kept those lines to myself and my friends, never really uttering them to any man. Young as I was, I knew if I said those words, they'd flee as fast as they can away from me.

Growing up and getting older, loving, and losing, I felt their songs spoke to me (as the rest of humanity also felt with other songwriters of their generation).

Anyway, after years and years of listening to their songs, I am finally going to see them live! Yay! Of course, the Historian will be with me. Although I think he'll look a little bit lost and dazed amidst a crowd of British Indigo Girls fans.

Aint life good? Haha.

I think 'Ghost' is their most famous, if not, one of their most-loved songs. Ask any Indigo Girls fan and I'm certain they'd mention this song.

Listen, and you'll know why. This song still haunts me. Come Sunday night, I'll be singing along with the Indigo Girls.

Aint life grand? =)

Ghost

There's a letter on the desktop
That I dug out of a drawer
The last truce we ever came to
In our adolescent war
And I start to feel the fever
From the warm air through the screen
You come regular like seasons
Shadowing my dreams

And the Mississippi's mighty
But it starts in Minnesota
At a place that you could walk across
With five steps down
And I guess that's how you started
Like a pinprick to my heart
But at this point you rush right through me
And I start to drown

And there's not enough room
In this world for my pain
Signals cross and love gets lost
And time passed makes it plain
Of all my demon spirits
I need you the most
I'm in love with your ghost
I'm in love with your ghost

Dark and dangerous like a secret
That gets whispered in a hush
(don't tell a soul)
When I wake the things I dreamt about you
Last night make me blush
(don't tell a soul)
And you kiss me like a lover
Then you sting me like a viper
I go follow to the river
Play your memory like a piper

And I feel it like a sickness
How this love is killing me
Id walk into the fingers
Of your fire willingly
And dance the edge of sanity
Ive never been this close
I'm in love with your ghost

Unknowing captor
You never know how much you
Pierce my spirit
But I cant touch you
Can you hear it
A cry to be free
Oh I'm forever under lock and key
As you pass through me

Now I see your face before me
I would launch a thousand ships
To bring your heart back to my island
As the sand beneath me slips
As I burn up in your presence
And I know now how it feels
To be weakened like Achilles
With you always at my heels

This bitter pill I swallow
Is the silence that I keep
It poisons me I cant swim free
The river is too deep
Though I'm baptized by your touch
I am no worse than most
In love with your ghost

You are shadowing my dreams
(in love with your ghost)

You Can

... for anyone who has ever uttered the words 'I can't'. Watch this video and be very ashamed. (I cannot watch this video without tears in my eyes again and again).

Dick and Rick Hoyt have an exceptional bond and love for each other. Dick is an extraordinary father and Rick is an outstanding human being. They both put us all to shame, in comparison to them and what they've achieved.

They are Real Heroes.

Here Comes The Sun

My sister-in-law used the Beatles song 'Here Comes The Sun' as her wedding march years ago. But it was arranged in one of those New Age themes, Windham Hill if I'm not mistaken. It came out really nice.

I found this Nina Simone version on youtube.


I love it!

No, I'm not going to be a copy-cat. I've found my song! Will blog about it soon, but not today.

***

It's nice to be back. As always, when I leave a place, and come back, I feel like I've never left. But this, being England, it is dark and dreary and rainy. I've had too much of rain and really need the sun to come out.

Went to the butchers the other day and the butcher's wife looked up, smiled and said 'Welcome back' and when I left she repeated 'It's nice to have you back.

Isn't she lovely?

I love nice people. Please let there be more nice people in this world. We need them more.

Speaking of nice people, we still need nice people to donate. There are still lots of people suffering from the two recent floods that devastated our country.

So I'm calling all angels to please help.

Click here for more details.

Please Vote

Times like these, where there is suffering and pain, when watching the news would only mean seeing more catastrophes and deaths, we need something or someone to uplift us. To remind us that things can be done, things are possible. And only a hero can do this...

Please vote for Efren Penaflorida. Read more about him here. To vote, click here.

We need more people like him.

I'm Back ...

... in the small cottage by the sea with the Historian who loves me and the dog who adores me, and I them.

I am definitely back. I'm writing this on my brand new bureau, a home-coming present from the Historian. Now I've got my poetry books all lined up, cards I refuse to throw away, neatly stacked in the drawer, and of course, my laptop loving its new throne.

It is dark, gloomy and austere outside, and yes, it is raining. Yes, I definitely know I'm back because of the weather.

The flight was smooth, just a few normal bumps in the air. I'm not really aware when or where the typhoon Parma struck the Philippines, but it did strike. This time the damage wasn't really in Metro Manila, but in neighbouring provinces. I understand there is another storm brewing somewhere near the archipelago. When will this end?

Anyway, here's a very touching video someone posted on Facebook and thought I'd share it with you.